How to stay productive

Final year is the year I decided to get my sh*t together. My downfall has always been productivity. So if like me you find being productive to be a bit of a struggle at times, here’s a list of things that can help.

Prioritize.

When you know what you really need to get done, dropping all non-essential things will help you achieve that goal. A quote Jocko Willink quote that really resonated with me is, “Discipline equals freedom”. There will be times where you need to have the discipline to say no to certain things, in order to focus your energy into the stuff that actually needs doing.

So, rather than flitting from one thing to another, to improve your productivity, it’s generally best to focus on just one really important thing at a time.

Eliminate distractions.

More often than not when doing work, we’re using the devices that can send us down a worm-hole of endless online scrolling. Since the new iPhone update, I’ve been acutely aware as to how much time I spend on social media. When I know I need to get work done, I set a limit for when I’ll be allowed to go on certain apps.

Also, quantity doesn’t necessarily equate to quality. What I find useful is to put the app block on for 2 hours to give me time to work to focus and be “in the zone” without getting distracted. I then give myself a 30-minute break to scroll through Instagram to my heart’s content.

Stay organised.

There are various different ways to do this. For me what works is keeping an agenda. This year I have a vinyl cover, black agenda from Mujithat I bring to all my classes. I also write down all my deadlines and put it in front of my desk so that I can see exactly how much time I have to complete them. When you know what your deadlines are it can increase your performance and reduce that annoying ol’ tendency called procrastination.

Make the time.

I was recently listening to a podcast where the guest on it was a motivational speaker. She said that “busy” is an excuse that we’ve made up over time to avoid or put off doing the thing we deem less important. At first, I was like “Nah, I’m genuinely busy” but then I thought about it and damn it, she was right. End of the day, it’s not about finding the time, it’s about making the time. @mums, pls don’t be mad.

Bonus tip:

As comfy as your bed may be, working in it hinder productivity. Your brain will always associate your desk with work. However, for your bed, it will, naturally, associate it with sleep. So get up and out of that cosy pit and get productive.

If you’re looking for that little bit extra motivation, give this Casey Neistat video a watch. It’s definitely changed my mindset. It baffles me that in first and second year I *barely* made it to 10AM lectures.